


At Crossroads

by WindMeister8



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: F/M, Obstacle course, Pickpockets, Terminal Illnesses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-14
Updated: 2016-10-14
Packaged: 2018-08-22 11:13:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8283886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WindMeister8/pseuds/WindMeister8
Summary: Death is something that all of us face, yet our ignorance of when it will happen allows us to live in relative bliss. However, if one did possess such knowledge, their notion of time becomes distorted. Because every tick of the clock matters.





	

**Author's Note:**

> **(AU Note: For maximum effect, listen to[this](http://www.yourepeat.com/watch?v=tbT8qmtCk84))**

_I’ve been running my whole life._

The light breeze rustles the trees lining the long straight path, shaking loose the colorful autumn leaves which fall to the ground. Underneath the sunny sky, a young woman jogs down the path, her feet making its mark as the bright leaves are trampled underneath it. Her breath comes out in steady huffs – proof that she’s still alive. Her cobalt blue eyes focuses on her goal far in the distance down the never-ending road, every step taking her closer to it…

_I ran from death._

Yet no matter which way she fled, she could not escape it. Eleven years of running down a straight path and suddenly, that path just ended. All that money could buy would still not be enough to get back what she had already lost. No doctor in the world could help her out, no God could grant her a miracle. All that she was given was a final time limit.

She slept, she cried, she sulked. For the better part of a year, that’s all she ever did. Alone and shunned by family and friends, she struggled with the truth of knowing when her life was going to end. Cursing the terminal illness that plagued her body, she wondered whether her only reason to be born in this world was to die so soon after.

But if that was to be the case, she made up her mind to enjoy her remaining years left. She would spend every second being as reckless as she could, having fun and just wasting time away. There would be nothing that she wouldn’t dare do. The adrenaline rush was what she would live for. After all, she only had twenty three years left. 

The clock was ticking.

_I ran to you._

The man slipped his pocket watch back into his coat. From a few feet behind, she could see it shine so brightly in the sun. It was absolutely beautiful, one of the most dazzling she had seen so far. That was definitely going into her collection.

Preparing herself mentally, she broke into a small trot that quickly escalated into a full-out run. As the distance between her and her target grew smaller and smaller, she reached her hand out. With a flick of her wrist, she dipped her hand into his pocket and pulled the pocket watch out. Clutching it firmly in her fist, she sped past him, making sure to bump into him along the way.

She heard him yell out angrily and a cheeky grin spread across her face. Unlike poor street urchins who stealthily pickpocketed people, she preferred to go about it with as much chaos as possible. The rush that came with it was so addictive and when her target occasionally gave chase, the excitement sent her into overdrive. 

Nine years she had done this and never once had she been caught. In a way, it was sadly disappointing. Maybe she should move on to some other activity now that she was twenty two and a little too old for thieving. 

She lowered her pace as she ducked into several alleyways. Her target hadn’t bothered following her at all, so she could probably exit to the main road anytime soon. Throwing back the hood that covered her head, she took out the pocket watch she had just nicked. It was indeed beautifully made with incredible attention to detail. Her fingers swept over the surface, feeling all the tiny engravings that decorated its cover.

Too busy admiring her catch, she failed to notice the man that sprang out from one of the side alleys. Before she could take another step forward, she was bulldozed into the wall, the pocket watch slipping from her grasp and dropping to the ground. Her lungs screamed in pain as the air left her chest. She could barely comprehend what was happening when a pair of strong hands dug into her throat, lifting her up against the concrete wall.

Through her blurry vision, she made out a short man with black hair staring menacingly back at her, his face merely inches away from hers. As the black spots disappeared from her sight, the man’s form became clearer and she recognized the black trench coat he had on his person. It was the same man she had stolen the pocket watch from.

“Damn brat, you dare nick my watch?!” the man growled.

She blew the few strands of her chestnut hair off her face and stared back at him. “Hey, it was all in good fun. I’ll return it back to you, alright?”

His grip around her neck tightened in response and she wheezed, her hands desperately scrabbling the red bricks behind her.

“ _Fun?_ You did it for fun?? Why I ought to kill you right now and do this world a favor,” he barked at her.

Her body went slack, all the fight in her simply gone. She looked down, her eyes wandering back to the fallen pocket watch. What time did it show now? The time of her death… she had wanted to know but maybe she was being too greedy.

“Go ahead then,” she replied quietly. “I didn’t have much time anyway.”

She waited patiently for death to claim her but when nothing happened after a while, she looked up. Much to her surprise, the anger had fled the man’s face and he was merely appraising her entire person. 

“A branded leather coat and fur boots… you’re obviously rich. And yet you steal for fun, huh,” he stated matter-of-factly.

Eyeing him suspiciously, she didn’t respond. The grip on her neck loosened and she landed on the ground with an unlady-like thump. She hurriedly got up on her feet, rubbing her neck where his fingers had left an imprint. Confused as to why he had simply let her off, she remained where she was, unsure of what to do.

“What’s your name, kid?”

His question caught her off-guard and she stuttered, “Va-Valeria. Why?”

“Valeria.” Her name rolled off his tongue with ease as he walked towards his pocket watch. Picking it up, he turned towards her. “Instead of stealing, I’ll show you something more fun. How about that?”

She hesitated, her heart pounding in fright as her frantic mind immediately jumped to conclusions. He didn’t seem like a bad man but his shabby clothes and cold glare told a different tale. And besides, a man suggesting fun could only mean one thing.

“Look. I could easily bring you to the police station for this but I’m offering you a different deal. Besides, I’ll give you this..” He held up the pocket watch. “…as a prize.”

Biting her lips, she considered her options. There was no way she could fight him off either way. His physique was in top condition and although she was fast, he had proven to be faster. She made a fast decision and brusquely nodded her head in reply.

He smirked, “Good. Follow me then.”

 

It turned out to be a short walk from where they were, just short of one kilometer away. She folded her arms across her chest, frowning as she wondered why she was standing outside of a barn with this stranger whom she had stolen from. If he had really wanted that kind of fun, he had no need to bring her to a barn of all places.

Meanwhile, the man pulled the huge doors open and beckoned her in. The space inside the barn was huge enough that even the glaring intensity of the sun could not reach its depths. She tentatively took a step forward, her feet stopping just at the threshold between the darkness and the light.

A click of the switch echoed within the space followed by a loud whirring sound. As the power kicked in, the barn was sharply illuminated by the yellow candescent lights that hung from the tall ceiling. Assaulted by the sudden brightness, she blinked her eyes a few times before opening them slowly.

“Wow..” she exhaled.

“It’s just something I put together but I think you know what this is, right?” He motioned to the array of equipment scattered in the large space.

Her eyes wandered around from the steep curved ramp to the various chains that hung from the ceiling. It was crudely fashioned and simplistic but there was no doubt as to what it was modelled after.

“Is this…  the annual athletic challenge?” she asked.

Hitting a large button on the panel stuck on the wall, he turned towards her as the machinery fired up, causing some of the apparatus to move noisily.

“Yeah, that’s right. I modelled each of the stations as accurately as I could but obviously, I had to substitute some of the material. It still tests all the necessary physical skills though. So what do you think?”

She studied the various stations carefully. “Pretty decent, I guess. What’s your point?”

He placed one hand on his hip and gestured to the mini athletic challenge he had set up. “Get through this and I’ll give you the watch.”

“Wh-what?” She arched her eyebrows. “You want me to beat the challenge?”

“Sure, why not? It’s fun.”

Examining his expression, she doubted that he was joking. He really meant for her to try it out. She had watched the athletic challenge one or two times before and from what she remembered, she knew it was very difficult to even get past the first station. Contestants trained for months before attempting it and even then, most failed. She never did find it exciting to watch though, so she didn’t understand why he would say that it was fun. But it didn’t seem like he was going to let her leave until she at least gave it a go.

She huffed in irritation and walked to the first station – a set of wood planks tilted at a forty-five degree angle and lined in a zig-zag fashion. Bending forward, she ran toward the first one, hitting it dead center with her right leg. She immediately pushed off, the momentum carrying her toward the next plank where she used her left leg to propel her forward again. 

Focusing solely on her leg strength, she consistently applied the same amount of power and direction into her kicks. The adrenaline pumping through her system increased at each plank she hit and once she reached the end, her face was flushed with the effort. Standing on the elevated platform, she saw the next station with swinging balls ahead. Each of the balls were swinging at a different speed and height, and by the look of it, each one of them were heavy enough to knock the wind out of a person.

Unsure of what to do next, she turned back to look at him but he merely jerked his head towards the next station, silently asking her to continue. Gritting her teeth, she focused on the obstacle in front of her. She couldn’t just run through it like what she had done previously but she didn’t want to spend all day here just observing how the balls moved. She would just have to rely on instinct and her reflexes.

Edging forward, she waited until the first ball swung past before she moved. The second ball was already approaching fast and she quickly ducked, shuffling onward. The momentum almost got her driving straight into the next one but she managed to halt. The shock caused her heartbeat to accelerate further and she inhaled sharply, trying to calm her nerves. The second ball behind her was speeding back again though and she hurriedly leapt forward, barely missing the subsequent one. 

The next few ones were relatively easier and seeing the end come closer and closer increased her excitement. Dodging the next ball, she felt more sure of herself and quickened her speed, wanting to taste sweet victory. Her overconfidence was her downfall though and she mistimed the ball behind her that barreled into her legs, knocking her down onto the platform.

The sudden pain was excruciating but more than that, she was disappointed that she didn’t clear the second station. She had been so close and yet it eluded her. Getting up, she saw the balls had stopped swinging and all the machinery had been paused. She made her way back to the start, limping slightly.

“Well, that was pretty good for a first timer,” he said as she walked towards him.

“I didn’t get through the second station though.” Her voice was bitter, knowing that she had lost the chance to obtain the pocket watch.

The slightest smile graced his lips as he shook his head. “No, you didn’t. But you can try again if you want.”

Her head jerked up in surprise. “I- I can?”

“Yeah. As many times as you want. I live in the apartment just beside here, so drop by and I’ll let you have a go at it.”

A large grin spread across her face and she nodded enthusiastically. “Sure!”

 

It was the first time she had ever felt so alive. Maybe it was because the obstacle course was something she could not easily beat, unlike everything she had been doing up to that point. It sent a thrill of excitement coursing through her veins and each time she advanced through the course – even if it was a little – made her rejoice.

She kept coming back day after day and even though she went back home with bruises, it wasn’t like her family would bother. It’s not that they didn’t care for her, but that they were afraid of contracting the same illness as her. Knowing that their daughter would die early, they allowed her to do anything she wanted. 

The freedom suited her though and she didn’t need to tell them about where she was going or who she was meeting. If they had known their daughter was meeting with a man who was a decade older than her, they might have objected. For she not only enjoyed practicing on the obstacle course each day, she also secretly liked spending time with the man whom she had gotten to know as Levi Ackerman.

He seldom spoke much about himself but after many daily visits, they started to talk about broader topics than just physical training. She learnt that he was a veteran and that after the war, he had come back to an empty home – his mother and only family member having died during his service. He eked out a living doing many odd jobs, from being a plumber to a carpenter. But in his spare time, he liked working on small projects like this obstacle course and strangely enough – in her opinion at least – he enjoyed savoring tea.

Talking to him was intriguing since his experience in the war had shaped a lot of his personality. Unlike most of the people she knew, he had been around death long enough to understand how fleeting life is. Around him, she opened up about her death prognosis and how she viewed life through a short lens. He hardly interrupted her, letting her just ramble on and on. Sometimes, she wondered what his take was on her attitude towards life. But then she would sink back into comfortable banter instead of popping the question. 

For some reason, she feared knowing what his answer would be.

_I ran from you._

In total, it had taken her two months and twelve days to finally complete the mini athletic challenge. Drenched in sweat, she lifted her arms high and whooped. Jumping down from the platform, she jogged towards Levi, a smug grin plastered on her face.

“Tch,” he clicked his tongue, although she could see the slight upturn of his lips. “Looks like you finally did it, brat.”

“Hey, doesn’t that deserve a congratulatory hug?” she snickered, holding her arms wide as she approached him.

Levi backed away quickly, his nose scrunched up in disgust. “Don’t you dare come near me with all that filth.”

She threw her head back in laughter. “Don’t worry, Levi. I was just playing.”

A sigh escaped his lips and he shook his head in exasperation. He buried his right hand into his pocket and pulled out the pocket watch.

“Here.” He held it out to her. “Your well-deserved prize.”

Her eyes sparkled at the sight of the beautiful watch she had first set her eyes on. She took it from him gently, cupping it in her hands.

“Take care of it,” he said softly.

The forlorn look on his face touched her deeply. It must have meant a lot for him to give something so precious to her and it broke her heart to think that she had first stolen it away from him to begin with. She might not own it for long enough but she was determined to keep it safe by her side until the time came.

“Thank you, Levi. I will.” She smiled gratefully at him. 

It then dawned on her that this marked the last of their meetings. She had no reason to see him again and that truth sent a pang of loneliness through her heart. All that time she had spent with him, she thought she had finally found a friend, a kindred spirit… and secretly she hoped, a lover.

Blinking back tears, she tried cracking a smile. “I… I guess this is the last time I’ll see you then.”

“Well, that depends on you Val.”

Her eyes widened in surprise. “What do you mean?”

“Follow me.”

 

Once again, she found herself following him just like two months ago but this time, she trusted him fully. Along the way, she kept pondering what it was he wanted to show her this time. Five minutes later, they finally came to a stop outside a warehouse. It was much larger than the barn but it was situated closer to the town center. 

“Another obstacle course?” she asked.

Levi didn’t answer but led her to a side entrance around the corner. Opening the door, he gestured for her to enter. As she stepped in, she was immediately assaulted by the pounding beat of the music that was almost drowned out by the even louder sounds of moving gears.

The large space was filled with all types of gym equipment from treadmills to weight benches. That wasn’t the shocking part. What really took her aback were the people using that equipment. As Levi guided her through, she took in the sight of an armless man on the treadmill, a blind woman rock climbing, and a wheelchair bound teenager lifting weights. Disabled people doing things she never expected them to be able to.

At the end of the warehouse was an office space with glass walls looking out into the gym area. Levi led her in before closing the door, cutting out most of the noise from outside. He took a seat behind the oak desk but she remained standing, looking out at the gym and observing the people there.

“Wow..” she exhaled. “This is pretty incredible.”

“It’s the main project I’ve been working on for a couple of years now,” Levi explained as he leaned forward. “It’s a gym dedicated to… people who are running away from death.”

She turned towards him, not sure whether she heard him right. But his expression was dead serious, which unnerved her. “That’s… tacky. So… what? You’re saying I’m like them and should come to your gym?”

His grey eyes regarded her somberly and he shook his head. “No. You’re not like them. You do things for pleasure, for fun. These people aren’t here for fun. They’re here because they fighting to live and they want to do something useful with their lives. And the purpose of this whole gym is to help them do that.”

Her hands trembled in rage at his words and her blue eyes flashed. She snorted, “Now you’re saying I’m pathetic. Is that it??”

“I’m not criticizing the way you live, Val. I’m just showing you a different way that you could,” he replied calmly.

She bit her lips, refusing to look him in the eye. Her voice cracked as she said, “I thought you were like me. I thought you understood me. I thought… you liked-“

Unable to complete her sentence, she fled without looking back, tears streaming down her cheeks as her heart shattered into pieces. Days passed by but she had no knowledge of time, locking herself up in her bedroom. Her entire life’s purpose had been thrown into disarray and trampled on, leaving her empty once again. To make it worse, she felt she had been betrayed by the person she loved most.

Was what she had been doing all this time wasteful? Was it wrong to live this way? She didn’t know what was right anymore and her head hurt with the jumble of questions she had. In the midst of all that, one memory kept on replaying in her mind – that of her finishing the mini athletic challenge. It brought a smile to her face as she remembered the feeling of that accomplishment. 

But why did that leave such a big impression on her? If it was about achieving something, she had done that plenty of times with pickpocketing. This was different. She felt strangely satisfied as if the simple act of completing the course had made her whole again. No amount of stolen goods had ever filled the void inside her. Digging deep into her emotions, she searched and searched for the answer until finally, it became clear to her. 

How she had fooled herself all this while into thinking that this was the way to live life, was beyond her. She wished she could turn back time and correct her mistakes, but she knew the only way was to move forward. And she knew exactly what to do next.

It took her a couple more months before she finally returned to Levi’s gym. Standing in his office again, she looked at him nervously, unsure of how he was going to react. 

His expression remained passive as always when he spoke. “Well, I saw you on TV. Congratulations on winning the athletic challenge, Val.”

Murmuring her thanks, she placed the envelope she was holding on his desk. “I wanted you to have this. For the gym.”

He looked at her questioningly as he opened it. When he saw the number of zeroes in the check, his eyes widened in shock and his gaze flew back to her.

“You were right, Levi. I was being selfish all along. I took the easy way out and never thought of what I could do with my life. So I want to give you the prize money from the challenge but I’m not sure whether you would take it.. and I don’t know-“

Her rambling was cut short as warm lips pressed firmly against hers.

“I knew you would come back, brat.”

_I ran for you._

She didn’t know which surprised her more – the fact that she was finally doing something worthwhile, or that Levi loved her. Often times she would feel that she wasn’t good enough to deserve his affections, but the small smile on his lips was enough to blow all her doubt away. That she could make him happy was all that mattered.

Soon enough, she joined hands with Levi in marriage and in work. Together, they put the prize money to good use by relocating the gym to a better location with better facilities. Overcoming one struggle after another, their efforts paid off tremendously as more and more people supported their cause.

However, the increase in workload took its toll on Levi who complained of an old service wound which made him tire easily. The couple decided to split the job, with Levi doing the desk work and Valeria taking the rest. It worked out well although she had to bear the larger burden. 

But as tired as she was at the end of each day, she was the happiest she had ever been. She had about as large a circle of friends as she could get, a job that made her feel useful, and a husband whom she loved with all her heart. With time flying by, she totally forgot about her short lease on life but it didn’t matter since she lived every day to its fullest.

It never occurred to her though that she would not be the first to die. It stunned her when she arrived home from work one night only to be greeted by the sight of Levi sitting lifeless in the rocking chair. His death came so suddenly that she fainted and entered a mini coma for a day or two. When she came to, her grief overwhelmed her to the point that the doctors had to restrain her from taking her own life.

It was only after Levi’s will was read to her that she calmed down. In it, he explained how his service wound had resulted in a ticking time bomb that lived in his body. There was no known cure and no way to determine life expectancy. Some men lived until a ripe old age and some died in a year or two. Not knowing how long he would live, he had decided long ago that he would count each day as a blessing. He didn’t want to think about the time bomb within him and neither did he want her to – which is why he had kept it a secret. But he hoped that she understood why he did that and he prayed that she continue on living for the both of them. She read his words over and over again, replaying their entire time together in her mind until finally, the pieces all came together. 

How he had understood her instantly when he caught her stealing, why he had introduced her to the obstacle course, why he had first built the gym… it all made perfect sense. He had repurposed his own suffering, turning it into inspiration and guiding other people to salvation. And for her, it was so much more. He gave her hope, love, and a purpose to live.

If nothing else, she would live as long as she could, spreading hope just as he had. That way, she could proudly greet him with a smile when she saw him next….

_I run to death._

As the sun sets in the horizon, she finally stops for a breather. Her breath comes out in fast pants and she moves toward the wooden bench on the side of the road. Plopping down on the hard surface, she leans back, draping her arms along its length.

It is a beautiful day and she smiles at the dusty color of the sunset. Her heart rate slows down as she regains her breath. Digging into the pocket of her jacket, she takes out her old pocket watch, its surface still as shiny as it was on the day she had seen it.

She opens it with a click. On one side is a picture of her and Levi taken on their wedding day, the one time she had gotten Levi to smile. 

“It’s time, isn’t it Levi?” she says quietly to herself.

On the other side, the second hand ticks softly and she reads the time with a wistful smile across her lips. The final time she had always wanted to see…

 

_17:31:55…..  
                       Tick, tick…._

_Tick._

_17:32_


End file.
